"Now… it's more dangerous than ever! Fire, Pumpkin!!"
Because Akuto had fixed his gaze on her, Mine's danger level soared higher than ever.
"BOOOM!!!—"
The blast was even stronger this time, giving Akame, Leone, and Bulat the chance to escape the encirclement.
"Retreat!"
At Akame's command, the three scattered immediately.
They had already realized that Akuto was not an opponent they could easily defeat. Battling him here, inside the Imperial Capital itself, was far too reckless.
If they wanted to stand a chance, they'd need to choose a battlefield more favorable to them, and carefully plan before striking again.
"…Trying to flee?"
Akuto narrowed his eyes, and from behind him surged torrents of blue-violet Leviathan water.
Several watery phantoms took shape instantly—then detonated.
[Leviathan's Flowing Water Explosion!]
In this world, he couldn't use "techniques" bound by its laws.
But attacks fueled purely by magic and natural energy? Those, he could.
"Watch out!!"
The Night Raid members felt the lethal danger emanating from the phantoms.
But it was already too late.
The Demon Lord–class "Water Explosions" had already gone off!
"—!!!"
In that instant, Bulat, with the strongest defense, leapt forward without hesitation, shielding Akame and Leone with his armored body.
When the dust cleared, his Teigu "Incursio" was cracked and nearly shattered, on the verge of collapse.
"Bulat!!" Leone cried in shock.
But there was no time.
The first wave had barely faded before another surged toward them.
"Go! I'll hold him off!!"
Bulat roared, spear in hand, and charged Akuto again.
Just as Akame wavered, threads stretched across the battlefield—Rabac, who had been circling nearby, finally rushed in to assist.
The threads tightened and lifted Akame and the others skyward.
"…Only leaving Bulat behind? That's a little disrespectful, don't you think?"
Akuto raised a brow, sending four more watery phantoms flying toward the escaping four.
High above, Scheele's eyes hardened. She seemed to make a decision.
A white flash flared as she swung her scissor-shaped Teigu, slicing through Rabac's threads holding her aloft.
[Secret Art: Extinguish!]
The blade gleamed brilliantly. She hoped its sturdy build would protect her—and that its blinding light would at least cover her comrades' retreat.
Mine realized Scheele intended to stay behind and felt her chest tighten.
But she couldn't even support her. The brilliance of Scheele's Teigu blinded her sights, ruining her aim.
Explosions resounded.
Thud! Thud!
Both Bulat and Scheele, scorched and broken, crashed down heavily to the ground.
Thanks to their sacrifice, the rest of Night Raid finally escaped.
Akuto glanced at the fallen pair. He had no intention of pursuing further.
Two captives were enough.
Moments later, he heard the system's familiar chime.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, on completing Main Story Quest: First Encounter with Night Raid.]
[Quest Requirement: Successfully survive the first clash with Night Raid.]
[Quest Rank: Blue → Purple (Completion bonus: forcing Night Raid to retreat and securing two hostages).]
[Reward Obtained: Complete Compendium on Teigu Manufacture & Repair.]
"The Compendium, huh…" Akuto's lips curled.
To be honest, the so-called Teigu were far inferior to divine artifacts.
After all, if someone truly possessed the ability to forge them, they'd hardly need Teigu to boost themselves.
Still, knowledge was knowledge.
"…Fine, I'll treat it as prerequisite material for studying divine weapons. If I master this, maybe I can develop artifacts different from even those of the God of the Bible."
With that mindset—"I've got it, might as well use it"—Akuto opened the Compendium.
And his eyes widened.
"…What's this? A method for creating Supreme Teigu?"
Interesting indeed.
Akuto stroked his chin. He had personally experienced the overwhelming protection the Supreme Teigu granted the Emperor—an all-encompassing, Super Demon Lord–level shield.
Even back in the DxD world, such power would be useful.
"…The only problem is—will the dragon aura and national fate of this world still function once I return to DxD?"
[Ding~]
[The System's power transcends worlds. Once the Host conquers the Akame ga Kill world, you will permanently retain the "Dragon Aura" blessing.]
"…Good. That's worth investing in."
Super Demon Lord–level Supreme Teigu.
It was worth the effort.
——
Meanwhile, Scheele drifted in and out of consciousness amidst the explosion's aftermath.
When she awoke to soft voices, night had fallen.
Blinking, she saw three different young women—and a certain black-haired youth.
Why weren't they asleep at this hour?
Curiosity tugged at her. Eyesight weak as ever, she crept closer to see.
The scene came into focus:
A blonde onee-san in black stockings nestled against Akuto's face.
A petite, short-haired loli rested on his chest.
And straddling his waist was a brown-haired girl in skintight leggings, her toned legs clearly forged through long training.
Scheele recognized her. Pony—the teammate whose Teigu enhanced lower body strength.
Of course, after Akuto's modifications, even "Pant of Yuu" had been upgraded—its side effects reduced, its functionality expanded, even given transformation abilities.
That was why Pony could still be wearing it now.
"…Sleeping in leggings? Strange…"
She inched closer.
"Um… excuse me…"
But when she reached within three meters, the scent in the air hit her—thick, unmistakable.
She finally realized who these girls were.
Akame's former comrades.
And now… clearly intimate with Governor Akuto.
…Anvale City's Governor Akuto.
The thought struck her hard.
She had stayed behind to hold off Akuto, had been blasted unconscious… and now she was here, dressed in a violet one-piece garment she'd never seen before. Semi-transparent, silky, clinging to her skin.
Her cheeks flushed crimson.
Akuto noticed her awakening, and slowly lifted his hands from Pony's thighs.
He was quite satisfied. With the Compendium, he had advanced from "barely repairing damaged Teigu" to "repairing and modifying almost all Teigu and Teigu-variants."
And Pony's upgraded "Pant of Yuu" was living proof.
Tonight, both Pony and Tsukushi had already offered themselves to him. Cornelia had helped ease them through it.
Now it was Scheele's turn.
"Scheele-san, you're awake?" Akuto asked casually.
Scheele glanced at Pony, fainted with eyes rolled back, and Tsukushi, weakly nibbling Akuto's fingers. Even without experience, she felt her throat go dry.
"…You are… Mr. Akuto?" she whispered, lips trembling.
"That's right."
"…You captured me. Put me in these clothes. Was it just for this?"
"Yes… and no."
"…What?"
"You'll understand in a few days. For now… I'd rather see you take the initiative."
Akuto leaned back lazily against Cornelia's lap, waiting.
Scheele's eyes glistened with tears.
"Mr. Akuto… a man like you… wouldn't need such force. Countless women would fall for you on their own. Why… why take purity this way?"
"Because, Scheele… I like girls like you.
What I desire, I take. That's my creed.
And… because you're stubborn.
And stubborn girls… always need a push onto the carriage first."
Clearly, Scheele was one of those unyielding types. For them, force before persuasion was simply more efficient.
(End of Chapter)
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